The reform, affecting the major educational players, also goes in line with a strong focus on competence development for teachers, headteachers and school administrators and the creation of learning networks as set out in the Programme for Digital Literacy (2004-2008)(1). Recent policies such as the eNorway 2009 and the strategy for competence development (2005-2008)(2) coherently focus on the development of Digital literacy. Norway also strives towards major progress in e assessment using digital portfolios.

ICT and Education facts

ICT has long played a key role in Norwegian Education reforms for several years and a number of projects and research and evaluation activities have taken place. According to a survey conducted by the Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education(3) all Norwegian schools are connected; most schools have public homepages and many schools, have implemented intranets. Moreover, most pupils have access to computers (95%) and the internet (84%) at home. There are around 8 students per Internet computer in primary and lower secondary education and 2.5 students in upper secondary and vocational education. Broadband connections are in place for almost all upper secondary and vocational schools, but only 37% of primary and lower secondary schools have high speed connections (2Mbit/s or faster). In remote areas broadband connections are still a challenge. There are around 58,433 schools (primary, secondary, vocational) with 787,770 students and 91,478 teachers in Norway.

The ‘eLearning Nordic 2006’(4) study has shown that pupils with other native languages are less likely to have a computer at home, and these pupils tend more often to learn about ICT in school than pupils in general (who learn more about ICT at home/outside school). These results indicate that pupils with other native languages are more dependent on using and learning about ICT at school. The school authorities have been well aware of these issues and already in the years 2000-2003 they carried out a project called ‘ICT in multicultural schools’ to meet some of these challenges(5).

As far as education in general is concerned international and national surveys indicate that Norwegian pupils are weak in a number of crucial areas such as in the development of basic reading ability in the course of compulsory schooling. This is the reason behind the boost of basic competencies as a major part of the educational reform.

The national education reform

A national drive to improve the quality of education
As part of the national education reforms, a national quality assessment system has been established with the aim of improving the quality of education. The Government will have a stronger focus on objectives and results, and on municipalities and counties to improve education. The Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education is responsible for the national quality assessment system, and has the overall responsibility for supervising and supporting local school owners - the municipalities, counties and independent schools - in their work with quality development. Measures taken are national tests to assess basic skills, results of which provide information to pupils, teachers, schools, national authorities and the general public. Furthermore, so called “Pupil Inspectors” collect and analyse pupils' opinion of their education and other factors concerning their school environment. Skoleporten (http://skoleporten.no), the website for quality in schools, brings it all together: it contains information on pupils' learning environment (based on "Pupil Inspectors"), learning outcome in basic skills (based on national tests), results of public exams, the resource situation at each school, and completion rates.

A new curriculum boosting competence development in basic education
As part of the national education reform, new national curricula are being developed for all subjects throughout primary and secondary school (years 1 to 13). In the new curriculum that takes effect from the school year 2006-2007, ICT is one of five basic skills that are to be embedded in all subject matters at all levels(6).

The background for the ongoing reform is the Government's aim to simplify the curriculum and strengthen Norwegian education in basic skills. The previous curriculum was seen as overloaded with activities and methods, but lacking in clear learning goals. The new curriculum leaves decisions concerning methods, learning materials and activities up to the individual school and teacher, while specifying areas of study and goals for attainment at various stages.

The reform creates a need for extensive training of teachers and school headmasters, both as regards ICT integration and in several other areas. The government has committed itself to support a substantial programme on competence building for teachers, principals and school administrators. It has granted a total of 38,5 Mio Euro to competence development connected to the reform. A strategy for Competence Development outlines among others, the establishment of regional and local networks for the development of learning arenas for competence development and exchange of experience in 2006. Teacher training institutions shall have an active role as providers of pedagogical guidance in these networks. The networks shall help the participating schools in becoming 'learning organisations”. In the 2004/2005 school year 23 networks comprising an average of 11 schools each have been established.

Strengthening science education
The ongoing educational reform increases the number of hours spent on science in schools, with the aim of strengthening science education. The Strategic Plan for Science Education 2002 – 2007 (Realfag, naturligvis) is a rolling plan subject to yearly revision. The Government has established six centres for science and technology (“Vitensentere") as part of an effort to heighten the quality of compulsory education and stimulating pupils' interest in science and technology. The centres are laboratories for developing interactive learning through methods which are motivating and inspiring for both pupils and teachers. Websites for science education have been established such as www.matematikk.org - a web resource for mathematics education and http://naturfag.no - a web resource for science education.

The Policy context

Focus on Digital Literacy
The latest government’s plan(7) called eNorway 2009 aims to take the digital leap forward by giving importance to digital literacy as a condition for economic growth in Norway. Digital Literacy refers to the development of digital competences that is the ability to exploit the opportunities offered by ICT, and use them critically and innovatively in education and work. Digital skills also include the ability to be critical to sources and assess content (8).

The multi-annual Programme for Digital Literacy (2004-2008) aims to smooth out the digital divide (and consequently the social divide) through promoting a vision of digital skills for all. More specifically, the Programme which is the Government’s main effort on ICT in education, addresses the entire education sector-primary and secondary education, higher education and adult learning. Among specific goals for infrastructure, competence and quality development (see above), the strategy focuses on the use and accessibility of digital learning resources, and, in the field of Research and Development (R&D) promotes innovative and pedagogical use of ICT at all levels throughout the programme period. ICT will also play a major role in the field of assessment in Norway.  By 2008, formative assessment using digital portfolios shall be used at all levels of education. ICT shall be gradually introduced into final exams in primary and secondary education from 2005.

Further information on Norway:

• Insight country report (detailed version pdf, summary version pdf): Country reports search interface
• Programme for Digital Literacy, 2004-2008. Ministry of Education, Norway.
• Development strategy in Basic education 2005-2008.
• The Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education (Utdanningsdirektoratet): Kartlegging og rapportering av utstyrs- og driftssituasjonen i grunnopplæringen, 2005.
• Pedersen, S. et al (2006)‘Elearning Nordic 2006. Impact of ICT on Education’, Denmark: Rambøll Management.  http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/policy/policies/elearningnordic.htm
• The Norwegian Ministry of Modernisation (2005) ‘eNorway 2009: The Digital Leap’  
• Press release by the Norwegian Ministry of Modernisation (in Norwegian)
• Articles by The Register, Vnunet.com, and Computerworld.com
• Eportfolio scenario

Country reports
Each Insight newsletter will focus in turn on a specific country. It will analyse national developments based on the Insight country reports where information is provided by Ministries of Education and other national key elearning institutions in cooperation with the Insight team.

Notes
(1) Programme for Digital Literacy, 2004-2008. Ministry of Education, Norway. http://odin.dep.no/kd/norsk/
satsingsomraade/ikt/045011-990063/dok-bn.html
(2) Competence Development strategy in Basic education 2005-2008. http://www.kunnskapsloeftet.no/
filer/competencefordevelopment.pdf
(3) The Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education (Utdanningsdirektoratet): Kartlegging og rapportering av utstyrs- og driftssituasjonen i grunnopplæringen, 2005. http://www.utdanningsdirektoratet.no/dav/04b06cd21a.pdf
(4) See Pedersen, S. et al (2006) ‘Elearning Nordic 2006. Impact of ICT on Education’, Denmark: Rambøll Management. Accessed at http://wwwupload.pls.ramboll.dk/eng/Publications/
EvaluationAndResearch/ElearningNordic2006_English.pdf
(5) As part of the project, heavy investments in ICT among teachers and pupils were carried out in three multicultural and challenged schools in Oslo.
(6) The other four basic skills are: the ability to express oneself orally, the ability to read, the ability to express oneself in writing and the ability to do arithmetic.
(7) The first eNorway plan was presented in June 2000 and the three first plans (eNorway 1.0, 2.0, 3.0) were principally a common description of actual initiatives in the individual ministries. On the contrary eNorway 2009 focuses on multi-disciplinary initiatives and projects.
(8) See: The Norwegian Ministry of Modernisation (2005) ‘eNorway 2009: The Digital Leap’ accessed at http://odin.dep.no/filarkiv/263968/Gothenburg_WLY-red.pdf